A Shared Life, A Hidden Fear
by NinjaDevil2000
Summary: How do Ron and Hermione react to Harry's nightmares? What are the dreams about and how will Ron and Hermione comfort Harry?


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to the Wizarding World, unless you count a replica wand and some Funko Pops. I sure wish I did though because then I would be rich and I would be able to eat all the Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills I wanted.

Author's Note: It broke my heart to write this story, knowing that in a few chapters, Ron leaves Harry and Hermione in Dean's Forest. I wish Ron would've stayed, but when you read about his return and how he saved Harry and how he destroyed the locket, it pretty much makes me forgive him. Anyways, please read, review, and enjoy because it makes my day hearing what you all think.

P.S. Check out my profile for a poll about house-elves! Tell me which one you want to see a story on first!

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Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been staying at Grimmauld Place for about two weeks now. Kreacher had begun caring for them, even Hermione, and made them meals, occasionally assisting them with their needs. One memorable moment with Kreacher was when a cursed dresser almost ate Ron when he had opened it, looking for a spoon. The trio had also begun sneaking out and snatching copies of the Daily Prophet to stay informed and the three of them, not used to the largeness and silence of the house, had taken to sleeping in the sitting room, taking turns on which of them slept on the sofa.

Harry had had a difficult time staying at Grimmauld Place, as it stirred up feelings he had pushed away long ago. He was quite normal and pleasant during the day, but at night the tables were turned. Harry's dreams had become more disturbing. Night after night, Harry would wake up sweating, panting; Ron and Hermione next to him, shaking him awake from his memories. Memories he had relived countless times. Sirius. Falling. Through the veil. The ghost of a smile still etched upon his already pale face.

One night, his dreams were worse than ever. After being asleep for about an hour, Harry began whimpering and twitching in his sleep. Hermione woke first as always, not being as used to Harry's nightly sounds as Ron was. She looked down from the sofa, as it was her turn that night, and saw one of her best friends looking tormented. Ron and Hermione never spoke of the nightmares during the day, and Harry attempted to act as if they weren't happening, although he couldn't hide the dark circles under his eyes, from lack of restful sleep.

Harry whimpered and trembled, looking as if he could scream out in misery. His lips were pressed tightly together and his eyes were scrunched up, trying to hold back the inevitable tears. Hermione made her way silently off the sofa, sitting cross-legged upon the worn carpet between her two friends, who were so much like her brothers. She clutched Harry's arm supportingly, while simultaneously shaking Ron out of his sleep. Ron woke instantly, having become very paranoid since the events that had transpired at his brother's wedding. Hermione lit her wand, placed it upon her sweat pant-covered thigh, and gestured to Harry. Ron sat up and looked at his best mate, wondering how he could help him. Ron had slept in the same room as Harry often over the past seven years, and so he was used to the usual nightmares, but never had he seen ones as bad as these.

"Harry, wake up," Hermione began quietly and she slightly shook his arm.

"Harry, come on mate," began Ron. "Wake up." Nothing happened. If anything, Harry's twitching became even more pronounced.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron said together, hoping their combined voices would bring Harry back to them, but no luck.

"Harry, wake up!" Hermione yelled, her eyes pricking with tears. Harry gasped awake. His green eyes blinked wearily and his hands rose to cover them. His body silently shook and Hermione and Ron could tell he was crying. Harry rolled over to his side and Ron and Hermione let him cry silently for a couple of minutes.

"Harry, come on," Hermione said, in a calming voice. "Please talk to us. We're your friends . . . your family." Harry continued shaking but after another minute or two, he rolled back over and sat up. "It's okay, Harry," Hermione said. "We're here for you."

"I - I'm sorry," Harry said thickly, extremely embarrassed that he had woken them again, just as every night before that.

"About what, mate?" Ron prompted.

"About waking you guys up again. I'll just start putting a Silencing Charm on myself before going to sleep."

"No, don't do that, Harry," Hermione scolded. "We don't mind, Harry. You're our friend. We - we love you, Harry," she concluded, feeling her lip tremble.

"Yeah," agreed Ron, also in a thick voice.

"Do y-you want to t-talk about it?" Hermione asked, composing herself. She figured that Harry might want to talk about it, but knew the only chance there was of that, was if one of them prompted Harry to do so.

"I - I -" Harry stuttered, still being the shy, embarrassed boy, or rather man, he was. "I - no, no it's okay." Harry was absentmindedly fingering his wand, and Hermione and Ron looked at each other.

"Harry," began Ron, "you have to tell us. We can tell that this - that this eating at you. Please, we need to know, we," Ron swallowed, lowering his voice, "we want to know. We want to help you." Harry was touched by the sincerity in his friend's words. A few leftover tears slid down his cheek and off onto the bedspread.

"It - it was Sirius." The name caught in Harry's throat and he nearly broke down again, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and continued.

"When - when he fell." Hermione and Ron exchanged looks again and both had tears in their eyes. They had grown so close over the last seven years that they knew each other better than they knew themselves. But this . . . this was new territory. Harry didn't normally expand on the contents of his nightmares unless a force such as Ron or Hermione insisted.

"He was laughing and - and then he got hit with Bellatrix's curse and . . ." Harry drifted off. "And he just fell back. He still looked happy but he was g-gone alr-ready." Harry covered his eyes in shame and looked at his knees, which were up against his chest.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said, tears falling freely now from her own eyes. "I - I'm so sorry about Sirius." She scooted closer to him on the floor and intertwined her fingers with his.

"You don't know the worst of it," Harry croaked out.

"What - what is it?" Hermione said, sniffing and hiccuping slightly.

"After I watch Sirius fall, I - I see," Harry staunched his sobs, but his voice shook so violently, that you could barely understand him. "I see you falling after him. You two, and then Ginny, and then Fred and George, and then your p-parents, and then Remus and T-Tonks, and Bill and Fleur, and everybody else that I love gets pushed through and I try to reach them but I can never get to them in time!"

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione was sobbing again and she leaned over, hugging him with one arm, and clutching Ron with the other.

"And - and it just makes me wonder," continued Harry, "whether or not it's safe for you all to be helping me."

"Harry, mate!" Ron shouted with anger, sadness, and exasperation. Hermione and Harry both looked at him in surprise.

"How many times do we have to tell you?" Ron continued. "We're your friends, Harry. We weren't forced into this, okay? We chose to help you fight this war and help you hunt the horcruxes! And my parents and Fred and George, and Bill and Fleur, Remus and Tonks and everybody else in this war, they chose to fight. Hell, even Kreacher and Dobby have chosen to fight with us. We could've fled and hidden away in a totally different country but we didn't, okay? We're sticking with you and we'll stick you until the end."

After Ron finished his speech, there was silence for what seemed like an hour.

"You guys really mean that, don't you?" Harry whispered.

"Of course we do, Harry," Hermione whispered back. "And we always will."


End file.
